Foreword. Acknowledgments.
Introduction: Get Right to the Bottom Line.
Putting a Hard Line on Soft Skills.
Behaviors or Bust.
Actions Get Outcomes.
Warning: The Higher You Go, the Bigger the Blindspots.
Simplicity Creates Sustainability.
How People Behave and Why They Don't Change.
How This Book Will Help You.
The Benefits Approach: Helping You Own Your Results.
Chapter One: Be a Partner, Not an Order Taker.
Taking Second-Class-Citizen Status for Granted.
Ideal Partnerships.
Starting Off on the Right Foot.
Kindfidence.
Transitioning Relationships.
Reality Check: Is Resistance Coming from the Other Person . . . or from You?
Rewards Outweigh the Risks.
Impact: What Partnership Means to You.
Chapter Two: Reveal Your Flaws without Fear.
Turn a Missed Opportunity into a Made One.
It Takes Strength to Admit Vulnerability.
A Potent Mixture.
Tips and Techniques: How to Reveal Your Flaws without Fear.
Bridging the Distance.
Chapter Three: Offer Honest and Direct Feedback.
The Argument for Feedback.
Tips and Techniques for Leveling with a Person of Influence.
Troubleshooting: When the Feedback Session Doesn't Go as You Planned.
Benefits: How Feedback Impacts Relationships.
Getting Great Results.
Chapter Four: Relish Productive Confrontations.
Disagree without Being Disagreeable.
But What If . . . .
Productive Confrontation Steps.
Do You Want Witnesses?
Dealing Directly with Difficult Issues.
Chapter Five: Make Gratitude a Habit.
A Simple Thanks Will Do, and a Written Thanks May Do Better.
Dos and Don'ts.
Modes of Expression.
The Suck-Up Obstacle.
What Should I Express Appreciation About?
Infusing Relationships with Trust, Loyalty, and Goodwill.
Chapter Six: Become an Exceptional Listener.
Four Sins of Bad Listeners.
Practicing Silence and Other Listening Behaviors That Work.
Listen with the Selfless Attitude of a Saint.
Are You Listening? A Self-Audit.
The Foxhole Principle: Why You Can Depend on the Best Listeners.
Chapter Seven: Get to Know the Complete Person.
It's Not Enough to Know the Names of Your Boss's Kids and His Golf Handicap.
The Complete Person Questionnaire.
Getting Started: The Trick of Asking a Boundary-Crossing Question.
Are You Ready for Complete Relationships?
It's Quality, Not Quantity.
Chapter Eight: Tell Yourself the Truth (and Get Others to Help You).
Types of Self-Deception.
Results You Don't Want.
How to Start Telling Yourself the Truth.
Leveling with Yourself.
Chapter Nine: Give More than People Expect.
Giving Is an Attitude as Well as an Action.
Why We Fail to Give at the Office.
Making Contributions That Count.
How Do You Know What to Contribute?
Contribution Words and Deeds.
Give from the Heart as Well as from the Head.
Chapter Ten: Maximize Your Return on Relationships.
Remind Yourself Why You Partner.
A Relationship-Driven World.
Troubleshooting: How to Keep Partnering Relationships in Good Shape.
Don't Place Limits on Your Business Relationships.
Reciprocity: The Importance of Scratching Backs.
There's Only so Much One Man (or Woman) Can Do, but No Limit to What Two Can Accomplish.
Index.
